1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of exercise devices and systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to the field of exercise devices and systems that incorporate electronic control systems. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to the field of exercise devices and systems that incorporate electronic control systems that are controlled via the measurement of a user's heart or pulse rate.
2. Background Art
It is well known that various forms of exercise provide numerous emotional and physical benefits. Cardio vascular or aerobic exercise is one form of beneficial activity in which a person may engage. Aerobic exercises include activities that require a person's body to consume and process large amounts of oxygen. As a result of such oxygen consumption, aerobic exercises can improve the performance and operation of a person's respiratory and circulatory systems. Additionally, it is well known that a regimented program of aerobic exercise can result in improved weight loss and maintenance as well as stress management. Aerobic exercises often include such forms of physical exertion as dancing, running, walking, swimming, biking, stationary biking, etc.
Typically, a person may engage in an aerobic activity for a period of time every other day. Some people engage in various forms of aerobic exercise in a manner so that each day involves a different form. For example, it is not uncommon for a person to run for thirty minutes one day and bicycle for 20 miles on the following day. This form of exercise variance is commonly referred to as "cross training." Cross training helps to alleviate boredom and bodily adaptation often experienced with aerobic exercise.
While aerobic activity promotes better health generally, activities which are often thought of as being "aerobic" also provide specific benefits at different exertion levels. For example, it is quite possible for a person to engage in an activity in such a manner that he or she will burn fat as opposed to increase muscle mass. Moreover, it is quite possible to experience varying exercise effects by exerting corresponding amounts of effort. The amounts of effort that a person must realize in order to experience varying exercise effects directly relates to that person's heart rate during his or her exercise regimen. The following table illustrates the various exercise states or ranges in which a person may or may not wish to engage in order to achieve, or to not achieve, the corresponding result.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ TARGET HEART RATE RANGES % OF MAXIMUM HEART/PULSE RATE RANGE HEART RATE ______________________________________ Fat Burning Range 50-60% Healthy Heart Range 60-70% Aerobic Training Range 70-80% Anaerobic Training Range 80-90% Red Line Range 90-100% ______________________________________
In order for a person to realize the above-listed exercise states he or she must realize the identified heart rate ranges during an exercise regimen. These heart rate ranges are commonly referred to as a "target heart rate ranges" which are percentages against a person's maximum heart rate. Generalized formulae have been developed to determine the extremes of a person's personal target heart rate ranges. One well known formula is commonly referred to as the "Age Adjusted Formula" which is defined by the mathematical equation: Threshold Point=(220-Age).times.(% intensity desired)
For example, a user of 35 years of age who wanted to work out in the aerobic training range would have a low threshold point of 129.5 heart beats per minute and a high threshold point of 148 heart beats per minute. In other words, the person just mentioned would want to maintain his or her heart rate within a range of 129.5-148 heart beats per minute in order to realize an aerobic effect.
Another method of calculating a person's heart rate ranges is known as the "Karvonen Formula." This well known formula is defined in relation to a person's resting heart rate (RHR) and heart rate reserve. The formula is defined by the following equation: Threshold Point=RHR+(HRR.times.% intensity desired)
For example, a person with a RHR of 80 beats per minute and a known heart rate reserve of 100 beats per minute who wants to workout in the aerobic training range would have a lower threshold point of 150 beats per minute.
Even though the benefits of exercise are well known, people often start an exercise program only to realize less than satisfactory results. For some people, maintaining a regimented exercise program can present several problems. For example, people often get bored with activities in which they repeatedly engage. Engaging in the same activity for an extended period of time without a change in scenery or effort level can result in great boredom thereby ultimately causing a person to discontinue his or her exercise program no matter how good for the person such a program may be.
Another problem found with staying attentive to an exercise program or regimen is often seen where a person engages in the same form exercise activity for an extended period of time to the point where his or her body adapts or becomes used to the program. That is, if a person does not constantly challenge himself in engaging in various degrees of effort, his or her body may become used to the particular level of activity to the point where no beneficial exercise effect can be realized.
Yet another problem may be seen where a person believes she is performing aerobically, or in some other desired exercise range (i.e. see table above) but is actually be performing in some other non-desired range. For example, a person may be engaging in a dangerous heart red line range when they actually wish to be engaging in an aerobic range.
Various attempts have been made to solve some of the above-listed problems. The following background discussion outlines some of the proposed solutions.
Generally, aerobic exercise has become highly intertwined with modern technology. That is, solid state technology has been implemented into exercise devices to provide `hi-tech` control and reporting systems in an effort to make exercise more physically and mentally rewarding. Exercise devices come in numerous varieties which include for example, stationary rowers, stationary ski machines, stationary stair climbers, stationary bicycles, and treadmills to name a few. In fact, exercise devices have grown increasingly complex in terms of the electronic circuitry used to control, monitor, and report various machine ad performance functions.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,447 to Robards, Jr. et al., for example, an exercise apparatus for simulating stair climbing commonly referred to as a "stepper" is disclosed. The stepper of the '447 patent has the ability to provide different forms of exercise work-out sessions such as those that involve hill climbing and random effort/exertion levels. Moreover, the stepper of the '447 patent appears to be able to display, on a custom, built-in display panel that is integral with the exercise apparatus, calories burned per hour, the total calories one has burned during his or her work-out session, the number of floors climbed, etc. The stepper of the '447 patent does not allow the user of the apparatus to change his scenery, his effort level based on his actual heart rate, etc. In other words, a user of the stepper of the '447 patent may never really know if his or her exercise regimen is actually aerobic or whether his or her heart rate is within his or her desired target heart rate ranges. Moreover, it is believed that boredom may set in with continued use of a device like that of the '447 patent thereby eliminating the desire to use such a device.
Disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,395,698 to Morehouse is a physiologically paced ergometric system in which a foot pedaling device is equipped with a heart beat rate meter. The rate of the foot pedaling device may be controlled in accordance with the heart beat rate of a user of the device. In addition, a pair of alternatively flashing lights act as a metronome which can inform the user to either speed-up or slow-down his or her exercise regimen. While the device of the '698 patent may incorporate some forms of feedback both in terms of exercise resistance controls and of visual speed indications, such controls and indications are done via a custom, built-in display (i.e. alternatively flashing lights).
Disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,710 to Watterson et al. is an exercise cycle that has a computer which is used to generate signals to control the resistance of the exercise cycle in order to regulate the heart rate of the user. Additionally, the exercise cycle of the '710 patent incorporates a custom display panel which is used to report a user's heart rate as he or she progresses through his or her exercise regimen. The exercise cycle of the '710 patent provides that the pulse rate of a user is detected via an ear clip sensor. Such ear clips are well known in the art to provide less than desirable readings of a user's pulse rate thereby limiting the ability of any control circuitry to effectively determine if a user is exercising outside of his or her personal target heart range.
Disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,737 to Ehrenfield is a cardiovascular exercise ladder device which provides sensors for monitoring the heart rate of a user and a microprocessor which adjusts the speed of the exercise ladder so that the a desired heart rate is reached and maintained. Additionally, the '737 patent appears to show the use of a display panel which is integral with the exercise ladder structure. The display panel may display heart rate and ladder rung speed. As with the patents mentioned above, the display panel of the '737 patent is a custom, built-in display panel.
Disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,095 to Lapeyre is an exercise monitor system and method in which a user of the system may see his pulse rate displayed on a television set as he engages in an exercise work out session. Moreover, as the user speeds up or slows down during his exercise regimen, images displayed on the monitor are moved at corresponding speeds. No machine control is provided to effectuate an alteration of the user's heart rate. Thus, a user may have difficulty achieving a desired exercise range.
Other attempts have been made to solve the various problems associated with performing aerobic like exercises mentioned above. For example, one such exercise system, the VIDEO CYCLE, is a exercise bicycle/monitor combination in which the resistance of the user's exercise bicycle is adjusted according to a pre-programmed sequence of bicycle riding terrain instructions which are sent to the user's bicycle via the monitor screen. The pre-programmed terrain scenarios are maintained on a never changing video tape. There is no machine control based on the user's heart rate or the like. Finally, it is believed that the user will ultimately bore of the canned, pre-programmed videos thereby possibly eliminating the desire to engage in exercise by engaging in use of the exercise bicycle.
Finally, disclosed in the SEARS AND ROBUCK catalog is a treadmill/monitor combination in which a user's pulse rate is monitored and displayed on a custom display device which appears to incorporate a built-in LED or LCD display panel. Additionally, information about the effort level on a user's workout and the work-out profile (i.e. hill profile, etc.) may be provided on a television set. The treadmill/monitor combination does not provide interactive motor control. Moreover, while the treadmill/monitor combination involves sophisticated technology, the combination shown in the advertisement is not interactive in any sense. That is, like the other systems mentioned above, the videos displayed on the television are canned videotaped images which never change. As such, use of the combination, as with the other systems described above, may result in boredom thereby possibly hindering the desire to use the combination.
The invention discussed below and defined by the appended claims, overcomes the above mentioned problems and provides features and advantages not shown, suggested, or taught to date.